Category: Dinners

MEATLOAF

In elementary school, our mom would pack us meatloaf sandwiches for lunch. A cold slice of meatloaf smeared with ketchup in between two slices of Iron Kids bread. While everyone at the lunch table took out their crustless peanut butter and jellies, I’d pull out my meatloaf. I’d pretend to be embarrassed, but secretly I …

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VEAL KATSU / SRIRACHA KETCHUP / PICKLED CABBAGE

This dish is sort of like a grown-up version of chicken nuggets. Try it with different meats: a chicken breast, a pork loin… I like the contrasting flavors and textures – the sour/sweet of the pickled cabbage versus the spicy sriracha ketchup, the crispiness of the panko crust versus the velvety egg yolk. For some …

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SHRIMP FRIED RICE

So I went to a Chinese New Year Festival and watched a Shrimp Fried Rice demo. I’ll share some things I learned, but before that can we talk about how there was a live rabbit booth at the festival? Just a fenced-off tent full of bunnies. Anyways… fried rice. First off, the beauty of fried …

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MAHI MAHI with PINEAPPLE PICO

You can serve this on its own with a side of risotto or with tortillas as fish tacos. Mahi mahi cooks pretty quick, so don’t over grill it. Unless your cooking for more than 10 people, you’ll have extra pineapple pico, but you can eat the leftovers as a snack with chips. RECIPE 1/2 a …

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CHICKEN with MUSHROOM SAUCE

I don’t have much to say about chicken with mushroom sauce, other than mushroom sauce isn’t very photogenic. It looks nice when the plate’s in front of you, but in pictures, it kind of looks like brown goop. Anyways, I served it with some steamed green beans, and these mashed potatoes, I’ve posted before. You could …

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4 RECIPES. 3 COUNTRIES. STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE.

So I went backpacking with my sister, Teva, last summer. When we reached the summit we met another backpacker, who told us he had found the source of a stream. He said, “The water is so fresh you don’t even have to filter it!” We did just to be safe. He went around telling everyone. …

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7 MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN COOKING ON VALENTINE’S

Right before Valentine’s Day, I usually get some calls from friends asking for advice. Cooking advice, just to be clear. They want to make a fancy dinner for someone they love/like/are-interested-in-but-afraid-to-assign-a-label. Except they don’t cook. One friend called, asking, “What’s a row-ex?” Me: “A Rolex? Like the watch?” “No, a rowwexe. It’s in a recipe.” “Spell …

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ESPRESSO/LAVENDER RUBBED FILET MIGNON with BLACKBERRY REDUCTION

You know the whole opposites attract thing? Well, that applies here to lavender and espresso. Espresso gives you the buzz, while lavender relaxes you. Espresso is rich and earthy, while lavender is floral and beautiful. They’re a good match. And when you rub them on steak, they create a nice crust once you sear it. …

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COCONUT CURRY

My friend, Raj, is trying to teach me some Sri Lankan cuisine. And by teach, I mean he lets me watch him halfway into a recipe and smell a sauce to figure out what spices are in it. He uses a blend of spices his mother gave him, but he’s not sure what goes in …

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SWEET POTATO EMPANADAS

You know how some sitcoms will do the flashback episode, where it’s about 5 minutes of new material, a few shots of them saying “remember…” and a bunch of clips from previous episodes. I hated those episodes. I still watched them, and probably laughed, but I thought it was a cop out. This post is …

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